if DARWIN was right? EVOLUTION on VIRUSES possible?

India
September 18, 2010 1:29pm CST
As per the Darwin's survival of the fittest theory..-The more we try to kill off viruses the more they are forced, as a way of surviving, to evolve into a new and stronger strain, but what will happen when a virus evolves into something beyond our ability to kill, could that eventually wipe out mankind? or do you think evolution of viruses possible..If your answer is YES then "in what form" PLEASE REPLY.........
7 responses
19 Sep 10
It's easily possible for a virus to mutate and resist out current medication as you stated and as is being widely publicised with a current antibiotic super bug making headlines in America. However it could be possible for mankind to genetically engineer a virus that acts as a parasite to the super bug which would in turn help in the short term. Ultimately if a virus was resistant to all attempts at control then many many people might die. But the chances are there would be some people that have a natural resistance to the super bug and whom would live. Ultimately it it very unlikely that a virus would evolve that killed every person on the planet, there would always be isolated communities on small islands or in the jungle and over time the humans with a natural resistance to the virus would breed offspring which in turn are resistant. It may take hundreds of generations to recover in a worst case scenario but we would recover. Just prey that you have a natural resistance!
• Ireland
20 Sep 10
I have to say I completely disagree with the prospect of mankind creating a virus to combat a virus. Didn't man create the foot and mouth virus which they then aloud to escape from some lab in England which just happened to be surrounded by farm animals. Didn't mankind create the killer bee which then escaped from a lab in America and now kills at least a handful of people each year. Dodgey idea.
• India
19 Sep 10
All living things have survival instincts. Due to those instincts all living things strive to develop resistance against self extinction. Virus too since it is a living organism try to do the same. Therefore, evolution of viruses too is taking place with other living things.
• India
19 Sep 10
Thanks for the best response vote to my post.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
21 Sep 10
Well, we've seen the evolution of bacteria in the course of our lives and to be quite honest, I think that we've seen some evolution of viruses as well. You know, there are not bacteria that are resistant to methicillin and vancomycin that once weren't that way, this is because of evolution. Then there are the diseases that were once erradicated that are coming back into being as well, I would be inclined to say that these viruses have evolved as well.
• United States
18 Sep 10
It is well know that years ago many virus and diseases have killed off many of mankind. Although our scientific methods are much more advanced there is quite a probability that some form of virus could actually be so potent that mankind could be completely wiped out. See Science and medicine today have not been able to completely cure aids, although they say they have learned ways of controlling. So what is to say something yet even bigger occurs how will they be able to cure yet even stronger diseases.
@jailo12 (332)
• Philippines
19 Sep 10
yes it is. evolutions really exist. this will make viruses much more deadly than it was before. ^^
• Ireland
19 Sep 10
Virii are evolving all the time, thats why you'll always hear Scientist discussing new and different strains of a certain virus because it has evolved into something it wasn't before. Such as if a virus becomes air born, this is a stage of evolution as it is evolving and becoming more aggressive. If a virus stop responding to once successful antibiotics this again is evolution. Virii are no different to any other life forms in that they will fight for survival and when the going gets tough they'll do what they have to to survive.
@LaurenInLA (2270)
• United States
18 Sep 10
I believe that what you state about the evolution of viruses is a proven fact. As every species has done, viruses have evolved as well and as a result have become resistant to the medicines that have been developed to cure them. I'm not certain that it will take a virus to wipe out mankind. I think that we will destroy each other